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Nook GlowLight Review: Now Available In The United Kingdom

Launched today in the United Kingdom, the Nook GlowLight brings the updated Nook eInk reader to customers on the east of the Atlantic. Sporting a higher resolution screen, brighter and more even lighting, with increased memory, how does the eBook reader compare to previous Nook models and the competition? I’ve spent some time with one of the devices to find out.

Keen-eyed followers of eBook readers will recognise this new hardware for the UK market was released at the end of October in the United States. This follows the same pattern as the previous eInk based Nook readers (the Nook SimpleTouch and SimpleTouch with GlowLight). While that sort of delay might seem archaic in a world of global smartphone releases and a rush to find grey imports on Day Zero, the eBook reader is a far more ‘impulsive’ purchase for a more mainstream audience. Having the latest model is not as important compared to a smartphone.

The geeks who really wanted the Nook GlowLight will have one already, no matter the Barnes & Noble strategy. This reader is for everyone else.

Barns & Noble Nook GlowLight (picture: Ewan Spence)

Retaining many but not all of the same design cues as the previous eInk readers, the Nook Glowlight has a very wide bezel around the screen. Importantly, this gives me somewhere to rest my thumb while holding the reader. Around the edge of the GlowLight is a rubber bumper, which creates a very nice tactile feel as the reader sits in my hand. Alternative bumpers are on sale, in rose or violet.

The GlowLight is a one-handed device, and with a slight weight reduction (down to 175g, which Nook happily point out is 15% lighter than Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite) I was able to comfortably read for long periods without any issues around the weight. Unfortunately the Nook has two changes to the design that feel like backwards steps for me.

The first is at the rear of the reader. Previous models saw the rear case bend into the chassis, creating a very slight bowl effect that your fingers would rest in. This made the unit feel more secure and sculpted for use in a hand. Now we have a blown cushion shape, bulging out of the unit. My personal preference is for a nice grip, and if Nook had been able to keep the concave back with the addition of the silicon bumper, I would have been happier.

Barns & Noble Nook GlowLight (picture: Ewan Spence)

The other change is the removal of the physical ‘turn page’ buttons on the left and right bezels on the front of the unit. On the older Nooks, you could turn pages by pressing down in the same place as your thumb was resting. Now the only choice is to use the touch screen, which means more gross movements to work with the interface. I assume there are cost benefits to removing the four buttons (two on each side), but it’s a big sacrifice in terms of usability.

Also, this Nook model is missing support for MicroSD cards. To be honest the only time I used that on older models was to hack an Android installation onto the SimpleTouch. With an increase in the on-board storage to 4 GB, the Nook team has removed another item from the bill of materials and provided an alternative for the users.

Are these issued outweighed by the titular light? It’s certainly an improvement over the uneven blue light of the previous model (the SimpleTouch with GlowLight). It has a much more welcoming color, although it is perhaps a touch too white. There’s also some light leakage at the side of the screen which shows up as an intense white sliver of light just as the screen meets the bezel. It’s not a huge distraction, but it is there, in the corner of my eye, catching it while I am reading.

The reviewer’s test is to put it next to the Kindle Paperwhite, and there is a clear difference. The Paperwhite’s light is more consistent over the whole screen, with no bright edges; while the GlowLight is a slightly brighter and more direct lights. The GlowLight is brighter and has more contrast over the Kindle. If you are looking specifically for brightness, then the GlowLight is the one for you. Both eReaders have a sliding scale of intensity, so you can set the light to a comfortable setting for your environment.

Barns & Noble Nook GlowLight (picture: Ewan Spence)

The Nook team has also worked hard to remove the full screen page flashing that was prevalent on early eBook readers. They’ve done a good job here, and I’ve not had any major issues with ghosting on the screen in two weeks of usage. If there are moments of ghosting, a quick return to the menu screen (or switching the unit off and on again) clear the screen. Although I never had to deliberately do this, the option is there.

The Nook GlowLight naturally continues to be backed up by the Nook Store. You can browse on the Nook GlowLight; or you can sign in to your account on your PC and use your browser, with the Nook GlowLight syncing over WiFi. Neither are you restricted to Nook purchased books – the eReader will allow you to copy over a number of existing formats over USB so you can read your own books or collections (assuming they are in the right format and not encapsulated by DRM).

The Nook store is strong in the mainstream titles, as the majority of eBook retailers are. Amazon has managed to gain extra strength through the ability to for authors to self-publish which creates a much wider range of books, and if you are looking for a platform for new and unsigned authors, the Nook GlowLight is not the best starting place on offer.

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